Hair clip



April 28, 1953 T s. SCHWARTZ I 2,636,500

HAIR CLI-P Filed May '10, 1950 I N V EN TOR. 571/4 Jb/Wmerz Patented Apr. 28, 1953 HAIR CLIP Sylvan Schwartz, New York, N. Y.

Application May 10, 1950, Serial No. 161,213

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to hair clips and in particular to an improved resilient hair clip formed from a single stamping which may be readily opened to facilitate the placement of hair therein.

The art of utilizing hair clips to impress curls in normally straight hair is well known and many types of hair clips have been devised for the purpose.. It is an essential feature thereof to provide a resilient clamp whereby the hair is held in a curled manner for a considerable period of time. After removal of the clamping means, the

hair remains curled temporarily, the latter eriod,

being usually sufficient to present a neat appearance for the duration thereof. Obviously, the process must be repeated, and therefore the employed hair clips are subjected to continued flexing and distortion. Heretofore, the one-piece type: formed from a single stamping, eventually failed to clamp hair effectively and therefore would be discarded. Analogously, clips formed from two or more pieces havin a spring therebetween, eventually produced a strain on the spring in a similar manner which resulted in the discarding thereof.

Further, the prior clips were diificult to open, usually requiring the use of both hands; a feature which was undesirable and inconvenient to the user.

It is an important object of the invention toprovide a hair clip formed from a single stamping which may be manually reformed to resiliently restore the clamping portions thereof in intimate contact.

Another object resides in the provision of compressible resilient means whereby the clip may be readily opened for the insertion of hair therein.

Still another object provides for a hair clip which is of simple construction and which may be inexpensively manufactured.

Other ancillary obiects will be hereinafter apparent from the following detailed description when read in the light of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating the clamping members with a curl of hair therebetween.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 with clip in opened position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in opened position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment in opened position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the hair clip shown therein consists of a stamping l necessarily of a material possessing inherent resiliency. The

stamping I0 has at both ends thereofbifurcated tines II and I2, the'tinesll being of a substantially greater length than the tines l2. The terminals of the tines are pointed to facilitate the positioning thereof.

In assembly, the stamping I0 is bent to produce a substantially U-shaped portion l3. Interposed between the tines ll, l2 and the portion l3, are grips l4 and 15 which are provided for the compressing thereof between the index finger 6 and thumb I! of the user. Co-planar with and adjacent to the grip 15, are the tines ll. provided between the grip l4 and the tines I2. The portion 20 is bent substantially at a angle relative to the grip l4, and extends through the bifurcated tines II. A second 90 bend is taken in the portion 26 at 2|, however in a direction opposite to the previous bend, thus, bringing the tines I 2 parallel to the tines H. The resilient tendency of the portion '3 to expand results in the tines l2 effectively engaging the tines H on the undersides thereof. The bifurcated tines I2 taper outwardly from the relatively narrow portion 20, the width of which is substantially that of the width of the slots 22 formed by the tines H, thereby presenting a surface thereon which is engaeeable by the tines II. To position the portion 20 between the tines II, the said tines II are distorted to occupy differing planes and the tines I2 staggered therethrough. The

resiliency of the tines ll return them to a co-" planar position.

Therefore, it is readily apparent that an effective hair clamp has been provided. In use, hair 25, Fig. 1, is pre-curled and positioned between the coactingtines II and [2 which are opened by the compressing of the grips l4, l5. Subsequent release of manual pressure on the grips permits the portion l3 to expand bringing the related tines into contact with the hair. To remove the hair clip from the hair, a slight pressure on the grips l4, l5 will disengage the tines thus permitting the withdrawal thereof.

If, after continued use, the portion l3 fails to return the related tines into intimate engagement with each other, the said tines may be separated and the portion l3 bent outwardly. The repositioning of the tines will restore the hair clip to its original condition.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the tines 26 have formed therein, channels 21 consisting of upwardly extending arcuate portions thereof. The remaining elements of the clip are identical with those in the aforementioned embodiment.

A linear portion 20 of the stamping Ill is In use, the channels 2'! are arranged to receive hair therein in a relatively large curl without flattening the said curl.

A further embodiment is disclosed in Fig. 4, wherein the tines 3B are formed with plural serrations 3| which provide functional surfaces to prevent the accidental slippage of the hair clip. As before, the remaining elements of the hair clip are identical to the aforementioned embodiments.

While three forms or embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to three specific applications thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the more details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiments shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated forms or em odim nts o th in entio y be ma e withou depa tin from h prin ipl s t e eof- What I l m is:

. h r c p ormed iro a sin l piece or resilient sheet metal which is bent has}; upon itself substantially at its center to term a bended section and two arms extending outwardly from said bended section, saidarms being bifurcated to f rm pac d tine ppe a d l wer rippi g por ions f rm d a jacent the nde i n, the arm which extends from the lower gripping portion forming the upper tines and the arm extending from the upper gripping portion having a narrow, intermediate section extending downwardly through the tines of the other arm and then outwardly to form the lower tines which are disposed in aligned relation with the upper tines, the bended section being so formed. that the lower tines are urged by the inherent resiliency of the metal against the upper tines, which latter limit upward movement of the lower tines, the respective upper and lower tines being separable from each other by compressing the gripping portions together.

2. A hair clip formed from a single piece of resilient sheet material which is bent back upon itself substantially at its center to form a bended section and two arms extending outwardly from the bended section, said arms being bifurcated to form spaced upper and lower tines of sub. stantially the same size and shape and which are disposed in superimposed relation, upper and lower widened finger gripping portions which are normally disposed in substantially parallel relation formed adjacent the bended section, the arm which extends from the lower gripping portion forming the upper tines and the arm extending from the upper gripping portion having a narrow, intermediate section extending down.- wardly through the tines of the other arm and then outwardly to form the lower tines which are disposed in aligned relation with the upper tines, the bended section being so formed that 4 the lower tines are urged by the inherent resiliency of the material against the upper tines, which latter limit upward movement of the lower tines, the respective upper and lower tines being separable from each other by compressing the gripping portions together.

3. A hair clip formed from a single piece of resilient sheet metal which is bent back upon itself substantially at its center to form a bended section and two arms extending outwardly from the bended section, said arms being bifurcated to form spaced tines, upper and lower gripping portions formed adjacent the bonded section, the arm which extends from the lower gripping portion forming the upper tines and the arm extending from the upper gripping portion having a narrow, intermediate section extending downwardly through the tines of the other arm and then outwardly to form the lower tines which are disposed in aligned relation with the upper tines, the bended section being so formed that the lower tines are urged by the inherent resiliency of the metal against the upper tines, which latter limit upward movement of the lower tines, the respective upper and lower tines being separable from each other by compressing the gripping portions together, at least one set of the tines being formed with a plurality of transversely disposed wavyundulations,

4.. A hair clip formed from a single piece of resilient sheet metal which is bent back upon itself substantially at its center to form a bended section and two arms extending outwardly from the bended section, said arms being. bifurcated to form spaced tines, upper and lower gripping portions formed adjacent the bended section, the arm which extends from the lower gripping portion forming the upper tines and the arm ex!- tending from the upper gripping portion having a narrow, intermediate section extending downwardly through the tines of the other arm and then outwardly to form the lower tines which are disposed in aligned relation with the upper tines, the bendedseotion being so formed that the lower tines are urged by the inherent resiliency of the metal against the upper tines, which latter limit upward movement of the lower tines, the respective upper and lower tines being separable from each other by compressing the gripping port tions together, at least one set of the tines having a non-smooth contour. v

" SYLVAN SCHWARTZ.

- References Cited in the'file of this patent uuirnn STATESPATENTS Solomon .-r-,.-l,- June 26, 1951 

